End of 2015 Wrap-Up

Time just gets away from me. I know that I have missed posting so many things, and I want to remember everything about these days, but some of it will have to be just that. I love that I have the patience (98% of the time) to be calm when Matilda is not doing what I think she should be doing. I don't waste time being frustrated. I enjoy that she wants me to hold her and rock her and cuddle. I love that she has started giggling when she thinks something is funny, even if the rest of us have no clue. I love that she loves people. She loves to watch people, talk to them (from a safe distance), and she LOVES her big sister and brother. All they have to do is talk to her and she smiles. She enjoys playing by herself for a little bit every day, she has no problem telling us when she's done or doesn't want to. She sticks out her tongue, she tries to click it. She waves, claps, gives high-fives and puts her hands in a "I don't know" gesture when people talk to her that she doesn't necessarily know what they want. She says "Night-night" by waving goodbye with a backwards hand. She takes naps like a champ and goes to bed like one too. She likes to eat, and as every third child does, wants to feed herself already. She has figured out how to scoot around on her belly (she's been rolling over and over and over for quite some time) but she has also figured out how to go from sitting to her knees, although her left leg always gets stuck under her tummy, so she isn't quite ready to crawl yet. She did pull herself to standing a few days ago, but she was sitting on my knee and pulled up on her busy cube. She can almost get herself up to sitting on her own too. She's very aware of what's going on around her, and she's a very patient baby. Galina is doing rec cheerleading this spring and we have two 45 minute basketball games to sit through every Saturday morning, and Matilda does beautifully. It's typically just me, Johnny and Matilda in the stands and they are both great for me. Johnny only asks for a snack and after the first game I let him watch a movie on my phone, which he then guards fiercely from other little kids that want to watch over his shoulder...we're working on that.

Galina is doing beautifully. She's so serious. I told her my one rule to letting her cheer was that she had to smile. It hasn't happened yet, but I know she's trying. I'm pretty sure the coaches think I'm Mommy Dearest... Both kids have expressed an interest in playing soccer. We may try. I know neither has ever done anything like it before and they may not be great at it, but what I love about them is that they do it anyways and don't complain.

Galina is reading up a storm these days. She's also started doing difficult math and is breezing through it (I think I am her biggest hang up because it takes me a few tries to figure out how to teach it to her the way she needs it). Spelling and phonics are going good for her too. She does French on the computer (we bought a Rosetta Stone version of it for Brian back in MA...don't ask...) and loves that, but it's definitely a program from older kids so she repeats a lot, but I think she enjoys it. Spanish would probably feel better to her, but I figure it can't hurt to have another language introduced, no matter what it is. She has also started doing Science with Granny once a week, followed by a piano lesson with her too. Johnny will start those next year, if I can keep him from crashing the science this year! He has avoided "school" as much as he could as a four year old, and I really let him this past semester because he's just a little boy that wants to play. So, as long as we were reading stories every night and he would participate in our morning meeting every so often, I was fine with it. But we've jumped in now that Christmas is over. I did an assessment on him the other day (thank you Internet and other people/schools that share!) and he definitely has a ways to go, but he seems to pick up everything quickly - when he wants to.

Christmas this year was fun. Brian graduated from his Fire Academy the weekend before (the 19th) and his parents drove in to see that, so they stayed through Christmas. We enjoyed the company, although NC was very, very rainy and the weather was doing 180s every other day. Emily and Molly (+families) were in town as well and that made things a little bit chaotic. Wanting to spend time together, but see everyone at the same time is hard. Thankfully Gaga and Papaw were understanding and didn't mind tagging along. They've said they'll come back in May when Brian graduates with his Associates in Science too. This has been a very full two years and we still have a long ways to go before Brian has his BS. This Tuesday he's meeting with an Army recruiter to talk about going into the Reserves. His extended military access ends on Feb. 15th. We will miss the base access and swimming lessons, but knew this day was coming. Brian will miss going to the base gym in a white t-shirt with a full beard and long hair...if he does join the reserves then we'll be back.

I'm doing a little bit of everything these days. Sometimes I feel like I'm not accomplishing anything, but I know I must be making headway on something since I don't stop moving. Too bad none of it makes any money - although working with Dad and Various and Sundry gives me a little bit, but at this point it all goes back into the business. One of these days :) if we keep at it. I did get a new pair of running shoes, finally, but haven't figured out quite where to run with three kids yet. Nowhere feels as safe as the bases at MA and HI. I do miss those, but then I weigh not seeing my parents and siblings as much and I'm okay with it. I'll get back to me one day. For now, there are three people, two dogs and a cat that are heavily dependent on my time and talents, so I guess I'll be grateful for that. I do have a to do list:

Fix swingset and finish staining it
Plant gardenias
Figure out a working arrangement for the three bedrooms
Get the dogs nails clipped
Give the dogs a bath
Paint the shed
Clean out the shed
Cook dinner

You wanted to know that, right?

And now, in no particular order, pictures!

 Galina in her unofficial cheerleading uniform!

 Trying to take a Christmas picture of these knuckle-heads...

 Papaw and Gaga entertaining Matilda at Galina's game before Brian's graduation ceremony. 

 Brian could only have 8 guests, so we maxed out with the kids, me and both sets of grandparents. It was a nice, short ceremony that Matilda slept through (Thank goodness!) and everyone else made it through!

 We took the kids to Wilmington to walk through the Enchanted Airlie Gardens, and saw Santa at the end. Matilda was having none of that. 

 Christmas morning!!!!!

 This was the first, I repeat FIRST, Christmas in Galina's history of Christmases (that she could talk) that she was COMPLETELY happy with everything about the day. There were no asides, or small "but...." - she was happy. Johnny and Matilda were both just as content and it was a great morning! 

 This was a few weeks before Christmas, at the VFD Christmas Party. Matilda was a-okay with that Santa! 

 This year we set up our Polar Express train. Johnny LOVED it. Matilda loved to watch it. It was fun and made a tree skirt unnecessary, so I'll take it!

 More cheering, and half-time. 

 This sweet girl first thing in the morning. She loves to see herself! 

 Lunch at The Carolina Ale House after the graduation. The service was slow, especially for an 11 a.m. lunch when there was nobody else in the place, but the food was good. 

 The Christmas eve tradition is to eat Italian food at John and Kerriann's and that is in Hampstead (a good 45 minutes from us) so we got home kind of late, but it didn't stop us from decorating our Ninjabread cookies for Santa :) 

 Galina's big presents were a doll (and a ton of accessories, like matching clothes) and an easy bake oven. Both have been great gifts, we're going on about two weeks strong and she's still happy to play with both...

 I don't make a habit of taking pictures at church, but this was Granny filling in as our music leader in primary where all but four of the kids were her grandkids. I thought it was cute!

 Our Christmas cards went out late this year, but for the past six months I've been asking Galina to draw me a Nativity scene for the card. She eventually complied, and I love it! It was a perfect Christmas card. 

 Since I love to have a family picture on my cards, we set up the tripod and got this beauty in four takes :) I was happy to have it and nobody complained too much. 

This girl is just too adorable...

And, finally, our New Years Eve celebration took place at exactly 8 o'clock p.m. when we watched a Peabody and Sherman countdown (courtesy of Netflix) and toasted each other with sparkling white grape juice, as well as sparklers in the front yard, in our jammies. It was a nice, quiet ending to a very crazy 2015. I've been so grateful, and undeserving, of all of the love and support given to us by our Heavenly Father through our wonderful family. I know that the struggles are not over, they may not ever be, but we still manage to be happy and I pray that it continues.